Trump wants to require immigrants to register with biometrics. These rights groups are suing

A lawsuit filed by immigrant rights organizations takes aim at a new registration process the Trump administration wants to roll out for immigrants.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services says come April 11, undocumented people and other immigrants will be required to provide biometric data or face civil and criminal penalties.

Carl Bergquist, general counsel Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), says questions remain about what that means. It’s not clear, for example, whether people with DACA, Temporary Protected Status or other temporary protections would be required to register as well.

“It’s like who is this supposed to apply to, what are the penalties going to be, how is that going to be enforced? How is that consistent with government policy?” he said. “We’re aiming to stop that for a whole host of reasons, they’re both procedural, due to the way this was rolled out, but also the policy within it.”

The rule was published in March and hinges on a WWII-era law that required noncitizens to register with the federal government. CHIRLA and other groups challenging it argue it will impact millions of people and is being unlawfully enacted, with few concrete details and no comment period.

Bergquist says the rule would also require immigrants to carry proof of their registration. But, there’s still no guidance about how to register, and it’s not a requirement right now. The Bergquist says it's is a way for the Trump administration to put pressure on immigrants to self-deport.

“What they're doing is creating this veneer of criminality around not registering,” he said. “If people do register, maybe that's a way for them to arrest somebody. If people don't register, maybe that's the way to create pressure on them to leave the country — So, I think it fits into the broader scheme in the way that it's really part of an anti-immigrant, mass deportation plan.”